Improvement in railroad-car heaters



HENRY R. ROBBINS.

Improvement in Railroad-Car Heaters.

Patented May 2,1871.

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HENRY R. ROBBINS, OF BALTIMQ RE, MARYLAND.

Letters Patent No. 114,349, dated May 2, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT m RAILRQADf- AR HEATERS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY R. ROBBINS, of Baltimore, in the county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented a new and improved Coupling for Steam Gar-Heaters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specification, in which-- Figure l is a longitudinal sectional elevation, and

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional elevation.

This invention has for its object to furnish an improved apparatus for connect-ing the systems of steam heating-pipes with which any two cars may be provided, and for disconnecting the same, said apparatus being also a conductor of 'the heating element, and being sufliciently flexible to adaptv itself to all the sinuosities and inequalities usually found in railways.

Referring to the drawing, auddescribing first that part of the apparatus which is attached to any one.

car-

a is a hollow socket, intended to be placed beneath a car-body, n'ear either end thereof, into one end of which socket a tube, 11, is fitted, the same being rigidly secured to the car in any suitable manner, and being connected with an elbow coming down from the steam -heater above, and delivering steam to the socket and, through it, to all the rest of the coupling apparatus. 1

Within the socket a a hollow ball, 0, is placed, having two orifices, one ofwhich communicates with the pipe b, and into the other of which'a pipe, (I, is titted.

The pipe (1 extends forward and enters a pipe, 0,

through agland placed at the end of the latter, so

as to make a steam-tight joint. I A spiral spring is placed inside the pipe 0 for the purpose of taking up the slack that might otherwise occur between the parts, thus accommodating the pipes to the action of the train.

At the front end of the pipe 0 is a socket, j, which incloses a hollow ball, It, from one side of which'a bell-mouthed sleeve, 'i, projects. A cylindrical bore extends through both the ball and sleeve, and cornmunicates with the interior of the pipe 0. 'The bellmonthed sleeve terminates that part of the coupling apparatus which is attached to any one car.

Pins project, in sufficient numbers, radially from the exteriors of both the sleeve and socket f; to which pins are connected the ends of springs k, which tend to'keep the hell-mouthed sleeve always in line with the pipes in rear of it, and in the proper position to receive the head of the coupling apparatus appertaining to another car.

Two rings, 1, are placed loosely on the outside of the pipe 0, which rings are connected by parallel bars m, to the upper one of which a chain, n, is attached, which suspends the pipes to the car and takes their weight off from the central hall.

To the side bars m are made fast the ends of springs 0, the other ends of which are fastened to iron stays, 1), that extend downward from the can. The springs 0 expand or contract according to the curvature of the road, permitting the pipes to sway from side to side.

The chain n should be of such length as to keep :the central ball I: always slightly elevated above the end balls, in order to permit the free passage of steam.

Waste-ways, fitted with cocks, .should be made through the sockets a, by which the water of condensation mayescap'e.

The corresponding part of the coupling apparatus that is attached to another car islike the one above described, with this exception: that its pipe, 0, instead of terminating in a socket, ends ina hollow spear-head, 1', made of the proper size to enter and fit-closely the bore of the sleeve i.

When thus connected the two parts of the coupling apparatus afford a continuous passage for the steam, hot air, hot water, or whatever heating element may be employed, this mechanism being as well adapted to one as another.

The coupling, considered as a whole, is steam-tight, and sufficiently flexible for all ordinary purposes. Its component parts are held together by the car-coupling shown below. Any car-coupling may be used that will answer the purpose, though the one here figured, and on which an application for a patent of even date herewith is filed, is that which I prefer.

To supply the heating material a boiler may be placed in the front car, or the steam may be taken direct from the locomotive-boiler.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Let.- ters Patent,'is-

1. The arrangement of the springs 7.; Ron the pins projecting from the bell-mouthedsleeve t and socket v f, as and for the purpose specified.

2. The arrangement of parts for supporting the steam-coupling or pipes, consisting of the device I I an m, the springs o 0 attached to the curved stays p p of the draft-coupling, and the chain a, all as herein shown and described.

3. The arrangement of thethree ,balLa nd-socket joints 0 a, c a, and h j; with their connecting parts, as shown and described, whereby the coupling is enabled to adapt itself to the sway or lateral movement of the cars to which its parts are respectively connected.

4: The arrangement of the pipe e, rings l, and bars in, as set forth.

' HENRY R. ROBBINS.

Witnesses: g

, RQBT. GILMORE,

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